Meet Sean Crim of Arts District

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Crim

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story with art goes back to when I started painting within the first year I born and has been a part of my life ever sense. Art has always allowed me to express myself, be my true self and explore what I have been unable to explain. From taking art classes every year of school to taking AP Art in high school at Georgetown Prep in DC to minoring in Studio Art at Wake Forest University where I also received a BS in Finance in 2015. Following a brief stint in commercial real estate in Atlanta in 2015 and 2016, a commission painting reignited my artistic fervor and passion for art. This was the big shift, where I decided to dedicate my life and myself to pursue my art. I decided to move to Los Angeles in the summer of 2017 to focus on my art and build my career.

It has been a journey, from the Malibu Art Walk to showcasing a series of work at the Gale Hotel during Miami Art Week in 2018 to group shows over the years at The Whole 9 Gallery in Culver City to Art Unified, Maddox Gallery, Jac Forbes Contemporary all in LA to most recently this year at Speedy Gallery in Bergamot Station to an exhibition swap with Speedy Gallery and C24 Gallery at C24 Gallery in NYC. In between those group shows, my work has been in Art Fairs such as LA Art Show, Palm Beach Art Show, Hamptons Art Fair, Seattle Art Fair and SCOPE in Miami during Miami Art Week.

The how of this over years has been a progression of my work and really focusing on growing my work along with meeting gallerists, dealers, collectors, framers and people in and around the art world. I have noticed references go a long way but more importantly letting my work resonate with people that want to show and have it. One thing that has always stuck with me from one of my mentors is allowing my work to be shown the right way, my work being talked about the right way and me (the artist) being talked about the right way. By “the right way”, I mean being talked about in a positive, supportive and meaningful way. Also knowing the importance to play the long game which can be very tough at times but continually pays off, which makes me excited for what is to come!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road along the way. One of the biggest shifts and challenges for me were my bouts of depressive/dark moments and times, alcoholism and emotional obstacles where I decided to get a brain scan with the Amen Clinic beginning of 2018 then got sober the spring of 2018 as well. It was a major life change, which made me focus on my mental health and self. This was reflected heavily in my work and continues to greatly influence my work. A major part of this journey and a very important piece is doing the work myself but not by myself and having a great support system around me especially with mental and emotional health.

Another major struggle has been financial sustainability especially with exploration of newer, bigger works that are more intricate as well as betting on myself and my work along with continuing to invest in myself and work. A part of this comes with believing in myself, my purpose and my work and taking that jump even with the risks involved.

A third major struggle has been alignment with the right audiences that my work resonates with, which can be a lot of trial and error as well as luck and coincidence. It is fascinating and interesting to see how different pieces and bodies of work align with different people and how it changes over the years. This can be a challenge at times but also beautiful when the connections and alignments are made.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work focuses on conceptualizing emotion within the human psyche through color psychology, neural oscillations and space perception. My work utilizes ink, flashe, acrylic and oil paint on canvas along with neon and LED lights. I capture emotional states by using an EEG (electroencephalogram) headset to monitor my brain waves while I engage in a dyad with myself through reflection. I create a visual representation of those emotions and states into conceptual form. My work further pushes into surrealist automatism and gestural abstraction to capture inner states by suppressing all conscious control over the process of creation and letting the unconscious guide a more painterly, gestural process and conversation within my work. The usage of light within my work creates a continuous movement in my pieces resembling the constant change in emotion. My work derives from looking through the façade of what appears to be to what is, exploring the journey of moving through self.

The science component of EEG (electroencephalogram) and color explains the feeling to having my art convey the feeling and emotion.

I am most proud of the vulnerability and honesty within my work because it is me especially my most recent work creating a visualization of introspection. I love making my mirrors as well because I love letting those pieces be finished by the viewer and bringing them into my work, letting them see themselves in the present moment as they are surrounded by light within a different perspective of self-reflection.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Be genuine, authentic and real to myself and my work. Allow my work to speak for itself. The more my work truly comes from within me and is channeled through me in the most authentic manor, that is my best work and the right work to create and give into the world.

Trusting my intuition and staying completely open to direction and guidance. Staying humble and willing to always listen, understand and learn. Continuing to be a student of life.

Also painting with my niece, Peyton, has truly taught me a lot which I am forever grateful for. Painting with her when she was one and two to even with her now at five, she has shown and reminded me of the pure joy of art without any pressure and letting the subconscious fully take over during the art making process. The true notion of self-expression and passion of creating art given to every individual is truly special.

Pricing:

• All inquiries about pricing, availability and commissions can be directed to my email at [email protected] or DM on Instagram (@seancrimart).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.seancrim.com
• Instagram: @seancrimart